My second stop on my first day with Gus was Sugarloaf Mountain. Sugarloaf is probably the forth most famous tourist attraction in Rio behind Christ the Redeemer, Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches.
Sugarloaf Mountain
Time for more of my useless trivia.
Sugarloaf Mountain is 396m (1,299ft) high. The shorter peak is Urca Hill which is 220m (722ft) high.
The two peaks and their surrounds make up the World Heritage listed Sugarloaf Mountain and Urca Hill Natural Monument.
It gets its name from the Portuguese who, when Brazil was a big part of the sugarcane trade, thought that mountain resembled a sugarloaf. Sugarloaf is what they called the clay molds that were used to transport the sugarcane.
The Cable Car
The original cable car was built in 1912. It was then rebuilt in around 1973, this is the one that features in the James Bond movie Moonraker. The current cable car was built in 2008.
The station where you board at ground level is not far from Red Beach, in between a couple of military installations. You do need to buy a ticket, having a guide like Gus helps to sort this sort of thing out quickly.
There is a second set of cable cars that are for the transporting of goods up to the bars, restaurants and shops on both peaks.
Each of the passenger gondolas can accommodate 65 standing passengers. It takes about 3 minutes to get from each station to the next. To get to Sugarloaf you need to take a short picturesque walk to the other station on Urca Hill.
Views from the Gondola
Urca Hill Views
Sugarloaf Mountain Views
Pão de Queijo
When we reached the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain Gus suggested that we grab one of the local snacks, pão de queijo. Basically a ball of bread and cheese. Not bad.
Red Beach and Urca
The area around the Ground Station is worth a wander as well.
Sugarloaf Mountain and Urca Hill Natural Monument
Even though the Sugarloaf Mountain and Urca Hill National Monument is very touristy it is another place to make sure that you visit when in Rio. Get there early to avoid the crowds.
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Sugarloaf is amazing.
Yes it is, especially when there were minimal crowds.. Hope you are doing well